Andrew P. O'Rourke

Who was Andrew P. O'Rourke?

Andrew Patrick O'Rourke was a judge and politician from New York State. A Republican, he served as the County Executive of Westchester County, New York from 1983 to 1998.

He was the Republican candidate for Governor of New York in 1986. During the course of the campaign, he carried a prop—a cardboard cutout of then-incumbent Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo, which he used to humorous effect. Nevertheless, Cuomo was re-elected.

After stepping down as county executive, O'Rourke was appointed as a Judge of the New York Court of Claims. Thereafter he was elected as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court and served concurrently as both a Justice of the Court of Claims and a Justice of the Supreme Court. Subsequently O'Rourke was on the bench in the Putnam County Supreme Court.